Darker Than Black: Gen New Season 2
by Sakabatou77
Summary: The United State's secret weapon is taken by Suzuki Hachi who was hired by a non-contract agency. Their first target is Itashi Megumi.
1. Chapter 1

DTB Gen New Season Two: The Ideal Contractor

**NOTE: This is the squeal to Generations New. If you have not read it yet, please do before continuing on.**

Chapter One: The Rough in a Diamond…

**Two Years After Richard Chaplin's Death**

In the mid night hours somewhere around the northern portion of Alaska, there laid a fenced off two story facility. The brisk wind howled; blowing snow about, as more plummeted from above, showing no signs of coming to a standstill. Lights illuminated the perimeter and beyond, allowing armed guards stationed in four towers, sporting in heavy white suits, to observe the area while others frantically cleared away the soggy snow.

The perimeter was two hundred yards squared while the building was three-quarters the size. The facility itself was constructed out of metal with no windows, four doors and four bay doors on each side.

In the distance, two silhouettes struggled walking through the calf high snow towards it. Noticing them, a guard in a tower shined his light on the individuals, showing they wore dark and heavy hooded winter suits with masks that were drenched in snow. The unknown beings continued on, as though nothing was the matter.

Given orders to shoot first and ask questions later, the guard trained his M-16 on them. However, before he could pull the trigger, the intruder to his right highlighted in blue, and then the guard and tower exploded. Workers on ground level ceased his or her work to gaze at it astounded, as the remaining towers' lights shined on the destruction. Unfortunately, the other towers also exploded one after another.

The workers began to panic, storming and trampling, trying to enter the facility while more guards fought to file out. Once the guards had exited, they located the threat, drawing their weapons, but they too were ignited like a lump of charcoal.

The intruders approached the entrance gate after the Contractor demolished it, and entered the perimeter. More guards filed out, only to succumb to the excruciating demise as their comrades had.

The Contractor blew open the door, allowing them to enter. Inside the facility, it was massive but empty, except for more guards, a ten by four rectangular halo-like light and a cage underneath it. Inside was a coffin-like box.

"Fire!" shouted the lead guard.

However, his men were obliterated in a fiery eruption. Once the fire was extinguished, all that was left was a glob of scorched bodies. The two men walked up to the lead guard who was shivering in fear. One of the intruders pulled out a nine-millimeter and pointed it at the guard's head.

"Open the jail," he demanded.

"Please, you mustn't," begged the guard. "He'll kill anyone without any consequences."

"My partner can open it himself."

The Contractor removed his hood to show he had mangled long blond hair and a scar running between his dark blue eyes.

"And if I do, you'll still kill me."

The hooded man sighed and put a bullet in the guard's head, killing him instantly.

"The lock's all yours," he said.

The Contractor highlighted in blue and carefully destroyed the lock, swinging open the jail door. They entered the jail, as the Contractor pulled out a plastic box, opened it to release a stench, and scooped out some manure to eat it.

The hooded man stepped before the coffin, noticing it was locked and gestured for the monstrous brute to demolish it. The Contractor did so, taking another handful of manure and devouring it.

The hooded man opened the coffin to reveal a teenage boy lying inside wearing black spandex pants. The boy was skinny, muscularly toned, and had short light brown hair. He opened his eyes instantly, revealing they were dark green, and sat up straight. The teenager glared at the hooded man and began glowing blue.

"Hold on before you kill me. Hear me out," said the hooded man, calmly, as he raised his hands in gesture to cease his actions.

"Why?" the boy asked in an English accent.

"I freed you from your slumber. You owe me at least that much."

"That is not rational."

"It is if money is involved. You just can't walk out without some consequences."

The boy settled down. "Speak."

"I work for a group that wishes to employ you and are willing to pay you five hundred thousand U.S. dollars for every mission you take and another five hundred thousand for completing it."

The Contractor glared at him for a second, and then said, "That sounds rational."

"Good. In fact, I have your first job for you. Kill the Contractor I'm with. I'm sick of smelling his lunch."

The manure Contractor glanced at him baffled, but doing so gave the teenager time to highlight in blue and snap his neck. The former employee dropped like a ton of bricks.

"Telekinesis!" babbled the hooded man. "I like. You'll get your pay when we reach Yokohama, Japan to kill your next target there."

"Who are you?"

The hooded man removed his hood to reveal he had a sharp face and silky black hair.

"Suzuki Hachi. And your next target is an old partner of mine."

Xxx

In the city of Yokohama during prime hours, Itashi Megumi and Watanabe Katashi sat across from each other in a dimly lit restaurant. Katashi wore black kaki pants, black shoes and a blue button up shirt with the top two undone. His hair was mangled to give him a messy look.

Megumi wore a loose fitting red dress that fluttered to the ground, had a slit along the right side, and shoulder straps that helped show immense cleavage. Her curled hair hung down her back with a few strands lying over her shoulder. She wore light red lipstick and had on glowing like make-up.

To Katashi, it seemed she was trying to make him, and other men around them, uncomfortable in the southern region. To top it off, she wasn't wearing any undergarments. Looked as though somebody was getting lucky tonight.

"I'm surprised to get your message," she said. "Last minute dinner changes, hey? And how did you get dinner reservations?"

"I wanted it to be special. After all, it's our two year anniversary since our first date."

"You remembered the day of our first date?"

"Yes. Don't you?"

"No," she chuckled. "And all it was, was us going to see Gackt in that gay movie with Hyde. I think it was called, _'Moon Riled.'_ And I was supposed to go see it with Kanami-san, but she had to work late at the TCS HQ. Her co-worker had gotten sick. I was surprised you wanted to go. Of course, after you asked me out to see another movie and then kissed me on my doorstep, I figured out why."

"Surprised you didn't think of that beforehand."

"I thought you were just being a good friend. Glad you made a move."

"You weren't that night. You kneed me."

"Those were some tough times. I had just left Tokyo, I find out my mom's ashes were dumped in a sewer, and the lead Captain made me Lieutenant. I didn't want to be in charge after giving up being in charge. It's a stressful job. It's more stressful when someone in your team doesn't listen.

"And I'm getting stressed now." Megumi took a deep breath, motioning her arms downwards, as though to help with her nerves. "Anyways, of course I got over it and now," she smiled at him, "here we are."

"Megumi," he reached across the table to take her hands, "we've been together for two years now, and we've lived under the same roof for two-thirds of it. We know each other's thoughts, we tend to mimic each other, we almost always bathe together," they chuckled while blushing, knowing they do more than shower, "and, no matter how many times we fight, and no matter how many times you wanted to end our relationship, we always find our way back together."

Megumi felt a sickening swirl around in her stomach, making sense of everything that had been planned up to this moment. Her heart began to beat heavily to where she could hear it, the simplest of breathing felt so difficult and her palms started to sweat. It even seemed as though the restaurant had risen up the thermostat.

Apart of her hoped he was playing with her, or she was over thinking the matter, but another part prayed he wasn't. Ever since she was ten, she imagined a boy getting on his knees to propose, and then walk down an aisle to him with her father guiding her. Of course, she had no one by blood to give her away.

As on cue, Katashi released her sweaty hands and lowered to one knee while reaching into his pocket to pull out a small box. He opened it to show a glittering diamond ring inside. Megumi gasped, clasping her hands over her mouth, fighting to hold back her tears.

"It's not usually Japanese tradition to do this," continued Katashi, "but knowing your father was Canadian, I found this more appealing.

"Itashi Misaki Megumi, will you marry me?"

His last words had done it. Unable to control her emotions, tears streaked down her cheeks. She hadn't prepared herself for this moment. There was so much swirling around in her head that boggled her mind. She had been fighting with depression day in and day out concerning her loses. She had countless nightmares of her parent's and Hazuki's death. Even Hizumi had done its toll on her.

She still thought about him, how sweet he had been before she had found out the truth, and had thoughts about what kind of life they could have had. A small house either in Canada or Japan, kids with a cat or dog, and perhaps a nine-to-five job too. A few times late at night she had imagined being in bed with him. Megumi had even cheated with Katashi concerning her thoughts and had pictured Hizumi making love to her.

There was also Shoji and his gutsy kiss he had given her. She also had noticed how jealous he had been during her little unexpected journey back to Japan. He too had made it into her erotic dreams.

The reason why Megumi kept climbing into bed with Katashi was because of Amber's warning. The thought of following her mother's path and not being there for her unborn son frightened her more than any Contractor she would face or come across.

The path to her future lay before her, and she would take it. It's hard to say, but it was time for her to say goodbye to Hizumi and Shoji and start a new life with the man before her.

She dropped her hands, and said, "Yes. Yes, Katashi, yes I will."

He smiled, taking the ring out of its box to place it on her left ring finger and kissed as they rose. Guests around them began to clap, indicating to Megumi that they had had an audience.

Xxx

Heading down the street late at night in Tsuzuki, Yokohama was a policeman in uniform. He was short for an Asian man; face covered in acne and had thick dark hair.

He trotted down next to the Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi. It had dark and light brown stripes two feet in height, was twelve stories high, and two deep V-like grooves above the offices.

He walked across the street towards nine different types of apartment complexes, heading to a six story tan building that was rounded off on the left side of it in the mist of the structures.

The acne boy reach his complex, headed up to the fifth floor, and stepped before apartment 522. He stopped, noticing it was cracked open, and removed his gun before entering. Inside nothing seemed to be broken or stolen, but it didn't relax his nerves.

He checked his bathroom, seeing it was cleared, but before he could turn around, he was knocked out from behind.

Xxx

Hizumi lay on his futon in his rundown apartment trying to fall asleep. It was an impossible matter since Itashi Megumi was all he saw once he closed his eyes. The woman haunted him.

Feeling uncomfortable, he turned onto his side, but that did no good. In order for him to get a good night sleep, he had to peel her out of his brain. The problem was how?

There was a knock at his door.

Unable to drift off into slumber land, Hizumi stood and stepped before the door to peek through it. Cursing, the young reaper opened the door to reveal Madam Oreille. She wore a white button up blouse that bore cleavage, short black mini skirt and nylons, and black high-heels that seemed as though they could pierce the toughest of skins.

"Hi, Hizumi!" she smiled.

"Couldn't send your pet?" he asked.

"He hasn't been feeling well. Fur balls. I offered to take him to the vet, but he told me he'd swap bodies first."

"What is it that you want?"

"Megumi-chan's old partner, Hachi, escaped."

Hizumi knew since Hachi was out, he would go after one person.

"Where is she?"

"Yokohama." Hizumi stepped away from the door to begin gathering his stuff. He was going to leave tonight. "There's more. He also stole a very secret project the Americans had built."

He glared back at her and asked, "What kind of project?"

"Something even your father couldn't compete with."

Xxx

The acne man woke up, his head pounding with dry blood along the right side it, and found he was tied to a chair. He had blurry vision, but it slowly refocused and revealed he was in an abandon plant. Dim light was seeping through the demolished windows above, casting miniscule shadows from the supporting I-beams. The acne boy wasn't a detective, but he knew he was being held captive off the coast in a rundown shipping cargo plant.

"Awake finally," said a male voice. The acne boy turned to come face to face with Suzuki Hachi. "Hello, Officer Sakishima Akashi."

The officer's eyes widened, and babbled, "How…?"

"Did I escape? I didn't."

"But…? You were locked up in a secured cell. There was no way you could have walked out or just let go without the media knowing."

"I wouldn't worry about my release," Hachi squatted in front of him, "I'd be worried about you."

"What do you want?"

"For you to call Lieutenant Itashi Megumi here."

Xxx

Early in the morning at Katashi and Megumi's apartment in the Izumi ward, the young couple lay naked under the mangled sheets on a western style bed. Megumi's red dress and Katashi's outfit were spread out along a white rug. The window drapes had been shut to keep prying eyes out. A stand lay next to the bed with a holo clock that read ten a.m. next to Megumi and Katashi's phone.

In bed, Megumi lay on her stomach with the sheets covering the bottom portion of her body. Katashi was cuddled up next to her.

Unexpectedly, her phone began to ring.

Moaning, Megumi reached out for it, fiddled to turn on the speakerphone, and placed it to her ear.

"Itashi…" she sighed.

"_Ah, hey, Lieutenant, it's officer Sakishima."_

"Hm…!"

"_Ah, Captain Fujita told me to call you and… and… to check out a homicide in an abandon warehouse off of Metropolitan Expressway Bayshore Route in the Naka ward."_

"Hm…? You're jokin… righ…?" she mumbled. "It's my day off…"

"_Sorry, Lieutenant, but he insisted on you."_

"Fine… fine… But I'm going back to bed when the body's been cleared for departure."

"_I don't think the Captain will have an issue, Lieutenant."_

Megumi hung up her phone, tossing it back on the stand, and didn't move. It was peaceful like this. Her mind slightly awake, ready to fall back into a deep sleep next to her fiancé.

She loved the sound of that.

"You gonna go?" Katashi asked, whispering in her ear and bringing her back to reality.

"No… I lied… My day off… Capt'n can send someone else."

"He'll call back."

"Turned my phone off."

"I'll go with you, Megumi."

"Lets just stay… like this…" she sighed.

"I can't. I'm too wide awake now." Katashi slipped out from the bed, making her moan in protest. "I'll go for you."

Katashi entered the bathroom and turned on the shower moments later. Not wanting to move, Megumi laid miserably in bed from feeling abandoned. Growling in frustration, she threw off the covers and joined Katashi.

However, they had other ideas than cleansing their bodies.

"You think we have time?" Katashi asked.

"They can wait."

Xxx

Sakishima glared up at Hachi, showing anger in his eyes.

"I did what you asked, now let me go."

"Sorry, but I can't," replied Hachi, removing his gun and aiming it at him. "After all, you called in a homicide, and we can't disappoint Megumi."

He fired two shots, putting them in the left side of Sakishima's chest. He coughed up blood, as he glared down at the wounds, and then died.

Xxx

An hour later, Megumi and Katashi pulled up to the abandon building in a burgundy square-shaped car. Rain pummeled the city, cooling the air to give it a somewhat brisk feeling.

Behind the wheel sat Katashi, his hair neatly combed and dressed in a black suit with matching tie and dress shoes. However, Megumi was presented in yoga pants, tennis shoes, a Toronto Maple Leaf Jersey and her hair was done up in a ponytail.

"Don't know why you dressed up in this rain," she said, holstering her gun. "And besides, you're just going to slip out of it when we get back home."

"Its proper work attire, Megumi," he said, doing the same.

She smiled, but was short lived, as she noticed the abandon facility was truly abandon.

"Where is everybody?" she questioned. "They didn't take the body already, did they?" Megumi pulled out her phone and called Sakishima. Moments later, a male officer's hologram appeared. "Officer Yukawa, where's Officer Sakishima."

"_He hasn't shown up for work yet,"_ said the officer.

"What? That can't be?" she said, and repeated Officer Sakishima's statement.

"_A homicide? That's news to me."_ The officer fiddled on his screen for a minute. _"Nope. Nothing like that here."_

"Send backup!"

"_Why?"_

"Cause something bad happened to Sakishima and he's here."

"_On it, Lieutenant."_

Megumi hung up her phone and removed her gun, as did Katashi. They exited the car, trying to shield their heads from the downpour, and ran for the building. Once they reached a door, Katashi grabbed the handle while standing off to the side, as did Megumi across from him, and counted down with his fingers…

One… two… three…

He swung open the door, allowing Megumi in first with him following. They began scanning the huge, dusty, and rank building until a police officer tied to a chair came into view.

Cautiously, the couple drew towards him, waiting for any surprises. After reaching the officer, Megumi could tell it was Sakishima. They continued patrolling the area, but there was nowhere to hide.

Suddenly, a shot rang out to have Katashi yelp in pain and fall onto the ground. Her heart pounding, Megumi turned to see he had been shot in the back but still alive. She began to head towards him, but stopped as a familiar voice echoed throughout the building.

"Ah, ah, ahhh…! Megumi!" warned Hachi, stepping from behind an I-beam while pointing his gun at Katashi. "I'll finish him off if you make another move."

Megumi looked on dumbfounded, but shook it off, and as she was about to shoot Hachi, her right arm somehow snapped, having her drop the gun while screaming in pain. The next thing she felt was her right leg breaking to have her drop to her knees. Before Hachi, a teenage boy who was glowing blue appeared from behind an I-beam.

"Tsk, wrong move, Megumi." Hachi shook his head and put two more rounds in Katashi. Within seconds, he was lying motionlessly.

"NNOOO!" yelled Megumi, as his blood pooled around him.

Using her left arm, Megumi began reaching for her gun but she was shot in the shoulder to have her spin and fall onto the ground. Her nemesis and the Contractor walked up to Megumi who was breathing heavily. Hachi grabbed her jersey and forced her back into a kneeling position.

"I would have spared Katashi, maybe," he shrugged, "if you didn't put me in your sight. You were always stubborn."

"Kill me, Hachi. You know you want to."

"That was my first intention when I shot you. You're a lucky broad. Guess I'll have some fun now!"

Hachi punched Megumi with a right, followed by a left, and another right, causing blood to spew from her mouth. For sport, he kicked her across the face, putting her on all fours, and then kicked her continuously in her stomach.

There was a pop, believing her spleen had ruptured. If this brutality continued, she would be dead in twenty to thirty minutes.

A crack sounded, indicating a rib had broken, along with a second and then a third. Hachi kicked her face, making her fall onto her back, spewing out blood. Not satisfied, he kicked her side three times, cringing as she tried blocking them, and then was kicked across her face. She rolled onto her stomach, coughing and spitting up blood in agony. Megumi's jaw had been shattered and her lips and eyes were the size of golf balls.

With anger still bottled in his gut, Hachi stomped on her back, sending a heavy pain through it and felt as though it had been snapped.

Believing it would be all right if she reached him, Megumi began to crawl towards her beloved while leaving a smothered blood trail.

"Where do you think you're going?" yelled Hachi, kicking her stomach. He looked at his companion. "Pick her up, and don't use your power. I'll get more pleasure out of this." The Contractor did so, his arms laced under hers. Hachi glared into Megumi's bloody eyes, and growled, "You always had to be number one."

In response to his answer, Megumi spat blood in his face. Angered by it, Hachi performed a right hook across her face, followed with a left, and then continuously punched her stomach. The pain was so severe; it felt as though she was bleeding from within.

Breathing heavily and somewhat satisfied, Hachi nodded for the Contractor to release her. She dropped to a kneeling position and glared up at her assaulter. Face twitching from her appearance, he performed an upper cut to bust his hand and have her fall and lie on her back.

While trying to shake the pain away, Hachi took out his gun and pointed it at a squirming Megumi.

"You should have accepted your death two years ago," he huffed out. "Your mother, her partner, and Katashi. They would still be alive if not for you." He snorted a smirk. "Looks like your luck runs out here. Goodbye, Megumi."

The last thing she saw was a flash from the gun.

Xxx

_Megumi woke up, realizing she was __sitting__ up against a tree in a forest somewhere near a lake. Before her was an old man fishing off the shoreline, wearing a brim hat and sandals, white shirt under a tan vest, and white pants._

"_Awake, finally," said the man. "That long trip really took a toll on you."_

_Megumi knew that voice. She hadn't heard it in years._

"_Grandpa Naoyasu?" she questioned. "Am I… dead?"_

"_What?" he asked while looking over his shoulder. "Whatever happened to calling me Ganpy?"_

_Megumi blinked at him baffled. "I was like five when I called you that. Are you going to answer me?"_

"_I don't know? Do you want to be?" _

_Megumi glared at him dumbfounded, wondering what he was going on about._

"_Where am I, Grandpa?"_

"_Come sit next to me and help your Ganpy fish."_

_Sighing, Megumi did so, swatting the hook into the lake._

"_What's going on, Grandpa?"_

"_We're fishing."_

"_Grandpa! Am I dead? Is this…? Heaven…?"_

"_I don't know. Do you want it to be?"_

"_Of course not!" she yelled, glaring at him, but averted her eyes. "Well, maybe. Perhaps it's best that I am dead. I don't have to watch anybody else die. First Li-chan, you, then Ryo, Saitou, Dad, Mom, Hazuki and now… now…"_

_She didn't want to say her fiancé's name, knowing if she did, then it would confirm his death._

"_Your mom…? Dead? News to me?"_

"_What…?" Megumi asked, whipping her head towards him. "Wait, no… That can't be…? She's been dead for two years now. She died trying to protect me…"_

"_Sounds like Misaki." There was a tug on his line. "Oh! Your ganpy caught a big one." He spun in his line and pulled out a two-footer from the lake. "Oh, look at that! I'll be eating good tonight."_

"_Isn't that a sea Bass? Why is it in fresh water? Grandpa, would you talk to me!"_

"_All right. Am I a great Grandpa yet?"_

"_N—no…!" she shook her head in frustration. "Why am I here? What is here? Where do I go? What do I do?"_

"_Whatever reason you are here. Whatever you want it to be. Wherever you want to go. Do whatever you want."_

"_Grandpa! Stop talking in riddles and just tell me!"_

"_Me-chan. Do you remember what you asked me after Li-chan had died?"_

"_Yeah, I asked why God had to take him? I had asked my dad why Li-chan had died, and he told me because God had called upon him. I had asked him again why, he wouldn't give me an answer."_

"_And what was it that I told you?"_

"_We all have our purpose in life, whether if we believe in God or Buddha." A thought crossed her mind and glared at her grandfather. "Did you know about my curse too?"_

"_What do you think?"_

"_More riddles, Grandpa?"_

"_I'm not the one who is giving the riddles, Me-chan." Megumi glared at him baffled. "To get to my point about Li-chan. Even though his life was short, his purpose in life had been fulfilled."_

"_Meaning he had to die so I could continue living."_

"_And keep on living."_

"_Keep… on…?"_

"_Megumi, it's not your time yet. You still have much to do." Suddenly, her grandfather became hazy and started to fade out. "I love you, Me-chan…"_

Xxx

Pain began to develop throughout Megumi's body. Uncertain what to do or what was going on, she slowly began opening her eyelids, finding them heavy. As they peeled apart, her eyes seemed a little hazy, which caused her to blink, and forced them to focus and stare up at a ceiling. She turned her head to her right and saw her mother's best friend sleeping in a chair.

Megumi opened her mouth to speak but found it difficult. It was as though her mouth and throat were bone dry and her vocal cords had been ripped out. Not only that, she tried swallowing, hoping to wet her tongue and throat, but she found that difficult as well.

Struggling, she opened her mouth and forced herself to say, "Ka—Kana—mi—san?"

Kanami slowly opened her eyes, blinking them, and then they became widen with joy, as she said, "You're awake!" She looked towards the door. "Nurse! Nurse!"

"Wha…? Wha…?"

"Don't speak, Megumi-chan. You've been in a coma for two months."

Megumi looked at her baffled at how much time had been lost. Remembering the last thing, she began moving her right hand, but it felt like a ton of bricks. Mustering up enough strength, she raised her hand to her head and noticed it was bandaged.

"The bullet barely missed your brain, but it did cause major swelling," said Kanami. "They had to cut part of your skull out to relieve some pressure. Once it went down, they put in a hard synthetic skull."

Megumi blinked, taking in everything, which seemed as though it was giving her a headache. Moments later, a nurse entered, holding a holo tablet. She walked up to the bed, checked her vitals on the holo screen next to Megumi, and then she shined a light into her eyes.

The nursed smiled, saying, "Welcome back, Itashi-san. You're a lucky woman. If you'll excuse me, I'll let the doctor know you're awake. You should get some rest. The road to recovery is going to be a long one."

She left while tapping a few things on her tablet.

"Ka—Kata—shi…?" babbled Megumi.

She knew the answer, but she had to hear it before she would accept it: hoping there was a slim chance he was still alive.

"Megumi-chan, I think you should listen to the nurse and…"

"Ka—na—mi… please."

Kanami averted her eyes, tears forming in them from the distress the news she was about to deliver.

"I'm sorry. He was pronounced dead at the scene. If you hadn't called in back up, you would have died as well. You had a half an hour window at the least, and that was just speculation."

Megumi's inside entwined with hate, sorrow and turmoil, knowing why she had survived and Katashi had died. It was her curse, indicating to her it was still in full force. The time her mother and Hazuki had saved her from the assassin Contractor, and the sniper having a heart attack had been because of it. In order to protect the people she loved, she had to stay away from them.

"Megumi-chan, there's more you need to hear," spoke up Kanami. Megumi glared at her. Kanami opened her mouth, wanting to say what was on her mind, but she was finding it difficult. "Megumi… I don't… err…? You… you didn't lose… just Katashi."

Megumi looked at Kanami baffled. Someone else had died?

"How…? How can I… put this…?" Kanami babbled under her breath, averting her eyes for a few seconds. "You were… you were… you were…" She burst into tears. "You were a month pregnant."

Kanami's words rang through her ears, but they felt kilometers away while she struggled to make sense of everything, but they were clear as day. She couldn't believe her life and future had been stripped in an instant.

Tears escaped Megumi's eyes to where Kanami hugged her.

Xxx

On a partly sunny and windy day, in the city of Venice, Italy, Madam Oreille walked into the Plaza San Marco, the Cathedral Basilica of San Marco to her left. The Cathedral was doused in white, had five arches on the base, the gate leading into the church in the center, and five arches above, including two small domes with a massive one in the center on the roof.

The square was surrounded by two story white buildings with arches along the second floor, and littered with pigeons, tourists and residences.

She approached the Campanile di San Marco, a tower built out of bricks, featuring a pointy white rooftop, that stood across from the Cathedral. An old man sat next to it feeding the pigeons. He wore a raggedy sweater, holey blue jeans, depleted boots and a stained hat. His blue eyes gave a cold feeling.

Madam Oreille sat next to him, and said, "You're a hard man to find."

"Not interested," said the old man.

"You haven't heard what I have to say!"

"Still not interested."

"To me, looking at your outfit, I think you could use more cash." She pulled out an envelope and sat it next to him. "Apparently, a top secret project was stolen from Alaska a few months ago. It has made its appearance in Japan. Itashi Megumi and her short-lived fiancé were caught in the crossfire. She lived but he didn't."

"What a shame."

"Heartless, but not," she smirked, causing the old man to glare at her baffled. "It looks as though '_it'_ is hopping from one country to another. I got your son tracking things in America." She stood and looked down at him. "If you're interested, meet me at Duomo Cathedral in Florence in two days. If I don't see you by then, I leave for Pisa International Airport."

"Sayonara, Kuro no Shinigami."

Madam Oreille walked off, scaring the pigeons in the process. Hei watched her, thinking of her options.

Xxx

Two days later, Madam Oreille stood outside the Duomo Cathedral waiting for BK201. Clouds hung over the city, wind howling throughout the city with drizzles scattered about.

After waiting over five hours, she began to leave, but stopped when she noticed a man in a white button up shirt, blue jeans and black shoes with graying black hair appearing in the mist of the crowd.

She smiled, gazing at his smooth collarbones, pleased they hadn't aged.


	2. Chapter 2

DTB Gen New Season Two: The Ideal Contractor

Chapter Two: The Same Downward Path…

**One Month Later:**

Cloaked in black, Megumi leaned on a cane before Katashi's grave. The dozen roses she held in her left hand ruffled from gusty winds under a cloudy sky, along with her clothing and a few strands of bandages wrapped around her head. Her flat shoes were covered in mud from a previous storm.

Her hair had grown a couple of inches, except where she had had surgery. Due to Hachi's brutal attack, it had left Megumi handicapped for the rest of her life and unable to bear children. If it were not for modern day medicine, and hours of therapy, she would have been paralyzed from the waist down. Because of it, the Yokohama police department had given her an early retirement package.

Slowly squatting, Megumi placed the roses before his grave and stood. She placed her free hand on her stomach, as though believing she still was pregnant, and let a tear escape her right eye to have it land on the roses.

"I'm sorry, Katashi," she said, her brown eyes watering. "I'm so sorry. I feared my curse was still upon me. I shouldn't have gotten involved with you. I thought everything was fine being in Yokohama. I was wrong. It cost you your life." She dropped to her knees, spattering mud about, as her tears streamed down her cheeks. "It… it… It cost an innocent being's life.

"Katashi. I… I… I was… pregnant. I failed us. I failed… I failed to protect our child… Gomenasai… I didn't know… I pray that you will forgive me… Katashi-kun…."

Megumi continued pouring out her sorrow, feeling as though it would not end. She had not felt this much pain since her parents' death. It was as though someone had reached into her chest, squeezed her heart to where it was going to burst, and then clamped down on her lungs to the point where it was impossible to breathe.

Once she was able to regain her composure and strength, she slowly stood; balancing her weight on the cane while ignoring the mud stains on her pants, and headed for the exit. However, a huge bald black man built like a brick stood nearby.

He wore a tight black suit that looked as though the seams would split from his muscular form, sunglasses that looked to snap in half from his tight jaw line, and a well-folded red tie lying over a white button up shirt.

"Lieutenant Itashi Megumi," he said in English, his bass-like voice rattling her nerves.

"Yes?" she questioned, noticing his statement was not a question. "And it's just Itashi Megumi."

"So I have heard. That is why I am here."

Megumi's eyes twitched, and said, "And you are?"

"The name is Denard Gardner. I work for the CIA."

Megumi's redden eyes widened, piecing together why he was present, and began departing the graveyard.

"I'm sorry… but as you can see… I'm in no condition to join you guys," she stated, cringing in pain from each step. "And if I could… I still wouldn't."

"Hachi Suzuki knows you're still alive. He will come after you to finish the job."

"Let him come… and try… He's tried to kill me… three times already… and failed… No doubt… he'll fail again… thanks to my so-called luck."

Megumi walked past him, as he said, "Help us find him first and bring him in. He stole an important top-secret project of ours from one of our facilities."

"Sorry but… you're on your own… And don't be tailing me either… I may not be permitted to carry a gun… but I won't hesitate to hurt someone."

"Your mother is still alive!"

Megumi's body froze, her heart once again doused in pain she thought she had put at bay, and turned to face Gardner.

"How dare you!" she growled. "How dare you even say that? My mother is dead! She died protecting me because you guys couldn't see Richard Chaplin was pulling a fast one under your guys' noses."

"You really think so? You'd think Madam Oreille would ask the President for a pardon for her if she was dead?"

"She did that so my mother could have a proper burial."

"Some burial. What did you bury? A locket, was it?"

Megumi's jaw line tightened. If she were not handicap, she would have gone up and kicked him in the family jewels.

"Who do you think saved you from that Contractor in the stairwells at b Akasaka?" continued Gardner. "Who do you think left you with her blue Porsche so you could chase after the New Kuro no Shinigami?"

Pushing his glasses with his index finger, he smirked, and finished with, "Come now, you had to have had thought about it too."

Megumi glared at him, displeased at the position she was in. After thinking about it, she turned away, and said, "If she still is alive, there is a reason why she never contacted me, and so I am going to leave it at that."

"If you change your mind," spoke up Gardner, halting Megumi for a second time, "you know where to find us."

Snorting under her breath, she headed for her maize-colored car. Once she had finished struggling to sit in it, Megumi called Sakura on speakerphone.

"_This crap again!" _yelled the Intel woman. _"Get with the ages, people! Section Four department."_

"Sakura, it's Megumi."

"_Megumi? Oh, God! How are you?"_

"I'm fine. Can you tell me the Messier code of the Contractor who had attack me?"

"_No, I can't." _

"Come on, Sakura. I won't tell anybody you told me."

"_Megumi! I would, but there wasn't a Contractor who was active at the exact time you were attacked."_

Megumi's eyes narrowed, as her mouth dropped slightly.

"That can't be?' she disagreed with. "Emiko must have screwed things up at Astronomic . Kanami-san should have had taken over."

"_She didn't do anything wrong, nor Chou__," _assured Sakura._ "They called the Astronomy lab in the United States and they themselves saw no Contractor activity."_

"That's not possible!"

"_Sorry, Megumi. Are we done? This primitive talk is starting to give me a headache!"_

Since Sakura was unable to see her expression, Megumi frowned.

"Yeah, thanks," she said, and hung up.

Xxx

On a sunny and breezy day in San Francisco, Hizumi took a load off of a bench before a circular water fountain with two mermaids sitting back to back. A two-story building was presented behind him with a balcony on the top floor and a metal structure sign on the roof that read Ghirardelli Square.

To look more like a Californian, Hizumi wore a red abbreviated Hollister shirt, tan shorts, crooked retro baseball cap and strapped-on sandals. He had been waiting an hour for a_ Phoenix_ member to arrive. From the intel he had gathered, it seemed that his target usually picked up lunch here.

Like clockwork, his prey exited a restaurant with a bag full of food. He was pale in skin and looked to be fresh out of high school. The boy was muscularly toned, showing it off by wearing a tight white tank top with matching brown shorts. Due to walking like a tough guy, his sandals clanked to a one-two beat, and since his sunglasses were the size of softballs, he had to flip his flat brim hat backwards. On his neck was a tattoo that read _life_ in Chinese.

He headed to the western portion of the square, having Hizumi stand and follow while keeping a safe distance. Once they departed Ghirardelli Square, the boy descended a Z-shaped staircase and headed towards the ocean. He then turned right to have Hizumi mimic his motion.

Unexpectedly, the young man ran across the road. Cursing, Hizumi chased after him, forcing cars to halt while he slid over the hood of one that had cut him off.

The young man slipped between cars parked along the sidewalk, ran up a picnic table, frightening the individuals around it while spattering their meals about, and then hopped off. Making it look like child's play, Hizumi hurdled the table and gained some distance before they entered a one-acre park.

A group of people that were walking their dogs, and others who were out enjoying the weather looked on dumbfounded. The boy collided and pushed several people out of his path, knocking a girl in a polka dot bikini on her bottom, and having an old man fall flat on his face. With a swift and casual motion, Hizumi zigzagged between the sightseers as though they were traffic cones.

They hurried by a cable car, through a few trees nearby, and then exited the park to run across a street, forcing other cars to stop. Approaching a clutter of pedestrians, the young man ran and bulldozed his way through a few people to have Hizumi hop over a guy who had fallen on his bum and sidestepped a woman.

Once they reached the shopping centers, the young man demolished fruit stands and knocked shoppers' bags out of their hands in order to slow down Hizumi. To the boy's dismay, the young reaper vaulted the stand and squashed a few grapes, pears and apples under his black shoes.

The two men crossed a third street and stormed into a blue rental-parking garage. They ran up a staircase with Hizumi a few strides behind. On the second floor, a couple, laughing and oblivious of what was happening, was descending from the top floor. The young man plowed into them, knocking the man over the railing and on top of Hizumi.

Irritated, he pushed the man off him and continued his pursuit.

"Crazy fools!" shouted the man.

However, once he reached the top floor, the young man had disappeared. Grinding his teeth, Hizumi looked around the rooftop for his opponent. Suddenly, a red boxy car pulled out of a lot, and headed towards Hizumi. Inside was the young man who was smiling.

In a split second, Hizumi leaped out of its path and rolled to a kneeling position. Believing he had eluded his tail, the teenage boy chuckled and blazed down the ramp. Once he reached the first floor, a split blade pierced the roof, scaring the young man who steered his vehicle into a parked car.

Hizumi hopped off the roof, opened the door, and yanked the young man out to throw him up against the car.

"Where's the rest of your crew?" demanded Hizumi.

"Dunno, manno!" babbled the ghetto wannabe boy. His heart was pounding as loud as a drum. "We get these text messages. They tell us where to go. What Contractor manno to join. What manno or womanno to kill."

"Give me your phone!"

"What? Manno no! If they find out I gave it away. I'm dead, manno!"

"I'll kill you if you don't!" Hizumi growled, lifting him an inch off his feet.

The young man's eyes widened and then he peed his pants.

"Alright, manno, alright!" The young man reached into his pocket, pulled out an old flip phone, and handed it over. "We good, manno?"

Hizumi released his hostage so that the manno man could run off. Opening the phone, Hizumi looked at the recent message. As the young man had stated, there was only hit jobs. The latest one was to meet up with a Contractor in four hours.

It also had written out, _Contact words: On a boat. _

Xxx

Out on a two-lane road surrounded by trees late at night, Kanami headed home after a twelve-hour shift. She leaned back in her seat while lacing a strand of her brownish-blond hair over her ear and let out a sigh.

The cougar woman was concerned about Megumi's future. One instant, things were going well for her, and then it all had fallen apart. That was why she couldn't bring herself to tell Megumi that Hizumi had been at the harbor. She had no idea what her goddaughter would have done or had said. It was best to keep it from her.

Unbuttoning the top portion of her black blouse, Kanami wondered what life was going to throw at Megumi next.

A police vehicle came up behind her and turned on its lights. Baffled at why she was being pulled over as the car moved to the side, she pulled out her insurance and registration.

Moments later, the officer reached the driver side, having her lower the window, and said, "Yes, officer?"

"Step out of the vehicle," the officer informed.

He stood taller than a westerner, had a dark complexion and a sharp face. His eyes lay hidden from the dark sky.

"May I ask why?" Kanami asked.

"Do as I say!"

"Excuse me, but I know my rights!"

"You have no rights!" He began glowing blue, as two red beams shined where his eyes lay. Kanami's eyes widened. "Out or…" The fraud officer pointed his left index finger at Kanami's dashboard and shot out a red laser, melting a pinky size hole in it. The former lab woman gasped. "You die!"

"If this is about trying to set up a trap for Megumi," began Kanami, glaring at the Contractor, "then you might as well kill me."

"My employers figured you'd say that."

Opening the door, he grabbed Kanami by her arm and yanked her from the car. Not willing to go down without a fight, she struggled with her captive, stomping on his foot and digging her black high heel into it, and then elbowing him in the chest.

She began to run, but because of her heels and red mini skirt, Kanami was as fast as a tortoise.

The Contractor called on his power and shot a laser into her right heel, having her cry out in pain and stumble forward. He walked up to his victim, grabbed her by the collar, and dragged Kanami to his car, throwing her into the back. The Contractor entered and sat in the driver's seat, started up the car while shutting down the TCS function and headed off.

Xxx

Megumi entered her rundown apartment while turning on the lights. It was the size of an American minivan that barely had room to house a futon, microwave, small refrigerator and an old holo television. Not to mention, her clothes were disorderly scattered about. At times, she had to sniff a pair of socks to see if they were clean.

The walls were worn beyond washability and the tatami mats had stains that were impossible for a dry cleaner to clean.

It was the only place she could find after being released from the police force and getting evicted from hers and Katashi's place. Kanami was helping pay the rent until Megumi could find a job.

The young and worn out woman placed her cane against the wall and, in anguish, slowly slipped off her mud stained black flat shoes. She sat on her futon, cringing from the pain, picked up her tablet to turn it on and began looking for a job.

There was an opening for a sushi chef a few yards from her, a convenient store hiring part-timers, McDoness looking for managers full-time, and someone wanted a nanny.

Megumi discarded the nanny ad; due to the fact she didn't want to deal with whiny kids. The McGrease burger job was out of the question. Foremost, forget about the chef position since her cooking skills equaled her mother's.

There were others but they wanted a minimum of four years of Todai college experience, which left the convenient store.

She filled out the résumé; cringing that they would deny her due to the time and years she had spent in the police force, and sent it.

As on cue, they sent back a rejection message.

Sighing, she turned off her tablet. Perhaps returning to the police force wasn't a bad idea. Getting killed by a criminal or Contractor was better than starving. Even still, Megumi had another two months before she was work ready and that would be limited. The money she was collecting from her injury wasn't helping and it expired at the end of the month.

No, that was no longer her life. She would finish her last eleven cursed years of her life as a civilian and nothing more. Thinking about it, McDoness wasn't a bad idea. Perhaps the company would allow her to wear nose plugs.

Her phone began playing _Ghost_ by _Gackt_.

Megumi looked at it to see Kanami's cheeky hologram smile and answered it. To her surprise, a vexed looking plump-faced woman appeared on it.

"_So you're the lucky Itashi woman I've been hired to kill," _she smiled.

"Who are you?" questioned Megumi. "What have you done with Kanami-san?"

The plump woman motioned the phone to her left, showing a taped up Kanami in a chair next to a man that stood as tall as the length of her room. He was messing around with a small tablet, as though playing a video game. The image rotated back to the woman.

"_Come to your fiancé's last stand, alone. If you don't, she dies."_

The plump woman ended the link.

Megumi cursed, knowing she was at a disadvantage. Since Tokyo was under American law, anybody could conceal a gun, but anywhere else in Japan was illegal. No doubt the plump woman and her companion took that into account.

In spite of that, she still had an ace up her sleeve. The problem was Kanami getting caught in the crossfire.

Xxx

Megumi pulled up to the abandoned warehouse and struggled to exit her car. The wind howled, whipping at her collared shirt and kaki black pants, and forming vast waves that crashed against the docks. Her green and white sneakers cushioned her aching feet and ankles. After closing the door, she wobbled over to the deteriorating building.

The young woman entered it to see Kanami facing her in the spot where Katashi had lost his life. The gore was still present, along with Megumi's blood nearby. To the left of her stood the plump woman with the colossal man behind them.

Shaking her head, Kanami pleaded for Megumi to leave, but her goddaughter ignored it and approached them.

Once she was within twenty yards, the plump woman swished her long black hair out of her dark eyes and pointed a gun at Megumi. She gave off a spine-chilling feeling from her ivory button up trench coat, jet-black nylons and bleached-looking high heel boots. Her comrade was the opposite in a police outfit, as he fiddled with a holo game of _Angry Birds and the Twenty-First and a Half Century_.

"That's far enough, sister," said the plump woman, halting Megumi next to an I-beam. The woman gazed over at her partner. "You can put that away now."

"I still have another hour until I fulfill my obeisance," he said.

"Finish it later."

The Contractor turned off his game and pocketed his device.

"Let Kanami-san go," demanded Megumi.

"Oh, no, no," the plump woman said, shaking her head. "It doesn't work that way."

"Why not? I'm here and you want me dead, not her. She doesn't need to be tied up in this mess anymore."

The plump woman pointed the gun at Kanami's leg and fired. The bullet shot out the other side, spraying blood from it, as the middle-aged woman screamed, having Megumi look on startled.

"Now that I have your attention, and full cooperation, you will do as I say," threatened the plump woman. "You will get on your knees and put your hands behind your head."

Jaw line tightened, Megumi was furious her plea had no persuasion and followed the orders. Unexpectedly, at the corner of her right eye, she saw a familiar double end split knife enclosed in the I-beam. She was sure it had to be the Black Reaper or Hizumi's blade. What was it doing here?

"Much better," spoke up the plump woman, distracting Megumi's thoughts.

"No doubt you work for the same non-contract agency that sprung out Hachi," said Megumi.

"Still the detective, I see," she nodded. "Yes, you would be right."

"Who are they?" The plump woman tightened her grip, showing she wasn't pleased with Megumi poking for information. "What's the harm? I'm going to die, and then you're going to kill Kanami-san since she can I.D. you in a line up."

The plump woman smiled.

"I like you. Too bad I have to kill you. All right. I'll tell you. That Contractor and I work for an agency that call themselves, 'The Phoenix.'"

"The Phoenix?" questioned Megumi, her hazel eyes glaring devilishly. "That sounds like a stupid name."

"Hn!" snared the plump woman.

"Why'd you break Hachi out of prison? Why steal the U.S.'s big project?"

"Enough of the chit-chat!" The plump woman walked up and placed her gun to Megumi's bandaged forehead. "Suzuki Hachi sends his regards."

Megumi prayed her curse was still intact and hoped Kanami wasn't going to be caught in the crossfire.

The plump woman began to pull the trigger.

In a split second, Megumi reached and snatched up the blade, and stuck it into the plump woman's left foot. As she howled in pain, Megumi yanked out the bloody knife and shoved it into her opponent's stomach.

Looking dumbfounded, the vexed woman gazed down at the knife, dropped to her knees while letting go of the gun, and fell sideways dead, her dark eyes staring at nothing in particular.

The hazel-eyed damsel reached for the gun, but had to pull back her arm, as the Contractor fired a beam and sizzled the concrete floor.

Megumi yanked out the blade and threw it at the Contractor. Unfortunately, he shot it out of the air, and then shot another, having the crippled woman roll out of its path, as it struck the deceased woman's forehead.

After settling into a kneeling position, Megumi realized the Contractor had her locked in his sights. He began highlighting blue, but as he shot, Kanami mustered all her strength and shoved into him, sending the beam wide right. Taking the opportunity, the brunette woman snatched up the gun and fired a shot into her opponent's head. Not knowing what had hit him, he fell backwards dead.

Feeling as though she had fought against a professional wrestler, Megumi dropped the gun and tenderly stood to limp over towards a demolished blade shard. She painfully bent over on her good leg, picked it up and continued over to the brownish-blonde haired woman to cut the duct tape.

Once Kanami's hands were freed, she ripped the tape from her mouth, and stood to embrace Megumi.

"You shouldn't have come," said Kanami. "Your life is more important than mine."

"I… I know, but…" mumbled Megumi, blinking her eyelids as they began watering. "You're all I have left."

Kanami pushed her at arm's length, looked into her brown eyes, and said, "I'm glad you came to rescue me, but… Megumi, you're lucky there was a knife."

"It wasn't luck. My curse is still in effect."

The brownish-blonde haired woman's eyes widened, and then threw her arms around Megumi again.

"Even if you're right about your curse, you shouldn't have come. Like Misaki, I would willingly give my life up for you."

"I… I know," wept Megumi, her tears streaming down her cheeks.

Xxx

Denard Gardner sat in his office at the CIA embassy in Yokohama, sorting through things on his computer. Word had gotten to him of Megumi and Kanami's narrow escape from a woman who was known as Beatrix, and a Contractor with the Messier code VC657. In his opinion, the method was brash and ludicrous.

At the moment, Gardner was reading reports about locating and apprehending Suzuki Hachi and the CIA's stolen billion-dollar investment. Unfortunately, it wasn't going so well. They had lost over one-dozen men and women, Contractors, Dolls, and other resources. They had made their perfect weapon too perfect.

Throwing his glasses on to his desk, he leaned back in his chair and rubbed the bridge of his nose. If he were to bet, Denard believed even BK201 wouldn't be able to take down the ghastly boy.

How was he supposed to stop the menace and capture the boy without killing him?

There was a knock at his door and then it opened to reveal a dark-skinned woman in her late twenties. Her blouse was bleach white, making it seem as though her navy blue skirt was darker in color, and had on black nylons that were tightly bound to her legs. Her high heels clanked on the floor, as she stepped into the office.

Her dark hair was done up in a bun, except a few purple-colored strands that hung before her light brown eyes, which were hidden behind small-rectangular glasses.

"Sorry, Mr. Gardner, but there is an Itashi Megumi here to see you," she said.

Megumi entered and leaned on her cane before Denard.

"Thank you, Aaliyah," he said. "That will be all."

"Yes, sir."

Aaliyah turned on her heels and exited the office while closing the door.

"Have a seat." He gestured to a chair before him.

"Thank you, but I'll stand," informed Megumi. Denard nodded. "I decided to join you. If I don't, then the group that had attacked me twice will continue to hound me and continue to use Kanami as bait. I think it's best that I leave, to join a group of people I don't know, and, at the moment, don't care about.

"On a few conditions. The first is, don't assign me to Contractors. They think rational, and I can't have that. Secondly, don't go sending me on wild goose chases concerning Madam O, my mom if she really is alive, and the Black Reapers. I… want… Suzuki… Hachi… And last!" The hazel-eyed woman's jaw line tightened. "When I find him, I get to kill him."

"Done!"

Megumi looked at him baffled, speculating there would be an issue concerning her last request.

"Really?" she questioned.

"As long as you don't kill the Contractor, we don't care. I can put it in writing if you'd like?"

Xxx

Wearing similar clothes as the young man, Hizumi stood in front of the old brown Saint Mary's Cathedral late at night. The upside down V-shape roof and bell tower was barely visible in the late hours.

A few minutes after arriving, a woman with a tan complexion, wearing brown clothes, approached. Her long curly black hair fluttered as she walked, and her dark pupils were noticeable from the whites of her eyes.

Spotting Hizumi, she walked over to him, her brown flat shoes as quiet as a whistle.

"I like to look up at the night sky…" said the woman.

"On a boat," replied Hizumi.

"Not what I expected," she stated.

"I get that all the time," he said, narrowing his eyes. "Who's our target?"

"A young college student at California University. This is she." The woman showed a hologram picture of an Asian woman with silky long hair. "Her name is Suzy Lu. Her father has a contract to sell us weapons, but he's cut us off. We are to kidnap her, call her father and demand him to continue selling us weapons."

"Sounds easy enough."

"Yo, womanno, he the wrong manno!" shouted the young man, as he hurried over to them. "I'm the real manno. He's a fake."

The woman gazed at the young man, and said, "What I had expected."

She highlighted in blue, her eyes burning red, and sent out a blast of air from her right hand. The hurricane-like wind tore through the air, having Hizumi hop out of its path and throw a blade to have it cast aside. Another blast was sent, forcing him to dodge to his right and then somersaulted to his left.

Hizumi rolled to his feet and glared at the Contractor while thinking of how to kill her.

The female Contractor shot out a fourth blast, but it was directed over his head and made him wonder where she was aiming. However, he received his answer as the church's bell tower was destroyed and mangled bricks fell on him. Surprisingly, the bell had been unharmed.

"That's what you get for messing with the Phoenix, manno!" the teenager laughed. "You should have left things alone, manno!"

The female Contractor walked up and looked down at him. She pulled out a piece of glass, placed it in her mouth, and chewed before swallowing it.

"You are cute," she said. "If it weren't so irrational, I'd ask you out. But instead," the woman raised her hand at him, "I have to kill you. What a waste."

"Yeah! Bye, bye, manno!" chuckled the young man.

Unexpectedly, a wire was flung from above, wrapping around the teenager's neck, and then yanking him ten feet off the ground. A man in black wearing a white mask dropped from above and embedded the wire into the ground.

The woman Contractor gazed at it baffled and used her power to snap the line to have the boy flop next to the man in black. The masked man was about to attack, but stopped as the female aimed her hand at Hizumi.

"You move, he dies," she warned.

"Man…no…! Not… cool…!" he coughed, pulling out a nine-millimeter to aim it at his predator. "And… stupid. No body messes… with the Phoenix… manno." The man in black raised his hands and slowly stood. Clearing his throat the young man continued saying, "What should we do with him, womanno?"

"He looks to be a problem. Kill him! This other one we'll leave alive for a while and question who he works for."

"Yeah! You hear that, manno? You're a dead manno! And what's with the outfit? You supposed to be somebody?"

"Kuro no Shinigami," said the man in black.

"What was that? I'm sorry, manno, but I don't speak Chinese."

"It's Japanese. And it means, the Black Reaper!"

With quick reflex, the man in black grabbed the kid's hand, twisted it, and shot a round into his heart.

Looking dumfounded at it, the teenage boy said, "Yo… manno… That… fu… fu…"

He fell backwards and died. Hei glared at the Contractor who still held her palm towards Hizumi.

"Don't move, or he's dead," she demanded. "I mean it."

"Go ahead. After he's dead, what then?"

Knowing she had no other choice, she pointed her hand at Hei and fired. Like old times, he whipped out his wire to hook it on a light pole and flew off. The Contractor shot the pole to shatter it. Hei tumbled for a second before regaining his bearings and hooked onto another pole. Changing his path, he aimed towards the female and plowed into her.

Disconnecting his wire and performing a somersault landing, Hei pulled out his knife to swing it, but his opponent blasted him in the chest and threw him backwards. During his duration in air, the Contractor shot another blast of air to have Hei bust through a building's window across the street.

The female Contractor walked up to the building, picked up a piece of glass and began chewing it. As she swallowed the glass, she noticed Hei wasn't present.

"He's still alive?" she questioned.

Turning around, the Contractor was faced with ice blue eyes, and was struck in the throat. The glass she had swallowed ended up piercing her esophagus, causing her to choke and drop to her knees.

Drowning in her own blood, she realized his coat had been shredded and somehow took the blunt force of her attack, and then fell forward dead. Her star mimicked her actions seconds later.

Hei walked over to his son and dug him out of his momentary grave.

"You're getting soft," said Hei.

"Tsk, I had it under control!" yelled Hizumi, standing and brushing the dust off.

"Think faster next time. And also, you shouldn't have let the boy live."

"You've been following me since then?" Hizumi frowned.

"I've been keeping an eye on you for the past week."

The Reaper boy glared at his father, disbelieving he had had a tail for so long. He then grinded his teeth, and said, "Why are you here anyways."

"Madam Oreille hired me."

"Oh, so you just reenlisted. What's the real reason? Money? Stay out of my way, old man!"

Hizumi walked over to the corpse to search it, found another flip phone, and opened it to search through the primitive device. As like the last one, there was nothing. He wanted to find this group since they had the galls to try and kill Megumi.


	3. Chapter 3

DTB Gen New Season Two: The Ideal Contractor

Chapter Three: Be Told The Truth

**Three months ago:**

Swinging across the city of Yokohama, Hizumi's black coat wavered in his wake while surprisingly his white mask stayed on. He soared towards the abandoned harbor where Megumi had called backup a few minutes ago, hoping it was not too late.

Minutes later, the young reaper landed in the parking lot, noticing Megumi's car nearby. The next thing he heard was a shot from inside.

Heart pounding heavily, Hizumi stormed inside where a male body lay in a pool of blood and Hachi was standing over Megumi. Anger soaring through his veins, he threw his blade. Unfortunately, it was knocked up against an I-beam.

Standing nearby was a teenage boy highlighted in blue with glowing red eyes. Before Hizumi knew it, the Contractor boy began to use telekinesis and took a hold of his neck, as if to snap it.

With his hands still mobile, Hizumi quickly threw another knife at the Contractor; who unwillingly released his grip and teleported behind his prey. Hizumi began to perform a roundhouse kick, but was knocked back ten feet by an invisible force. Landing on his side, the spawn of BK201 skidded a few yards.

"Kill him and make it quick," said Hachi. "Backup should be here soon."

Holding out his hands, the Contractor used his power to pick up his prey by the neck. Being choked to death, Hizumi flung his wire to have it wrap around the teen boy's outstretched arm and highlighted in blue.

Dumbstruck, the Contractor teleported, as an electrical shock ran through the wire and reappeared next to Hachi. The Contractor began to attack once more, but his partner stopped him. Sirens could be heard in the distance.

"Time to go!" informed Hachi. "Chibi Shinigami won this battle, but at a price." He smiled at Megumi's body. "It's a pleasant sight to finally see her dead."

"I would not say such things if I were you!" Hizumi threatened.

The Contractor took a hold of Hachi and disappeared. Freed, the young reaper threw off his mask, shattering it, and ran over to kneel before Megumi.

He could not believe she was dead.

Hizumi scooped Megumi up and cuddled her in his arms. Fighting desperately to hold back his tears, he began cradling her.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry I could not make it in time," he whimpered. "Forgive me."

Suddenly, a soft breath huffed into his ear.

Startled, Hizumi laid Megumi on her back, placed his finger on her neck and found a faint pulse.

There was still time.

However, as he was about to pick her up, reinforcements barged in.

"Freeze, police," the leader shouted.

With no choice in the matter, Hizumi whipped out his line and soared into the rafters. Bullets began to pulverize the area, bouncing off the beams and his coat. One shattered a window in which he ran towards and performed a leap of faith. Whipping out his wire, he hooked it onto a pole and flew off.

"After him!" demanded the second in commanded.

"Belay that order," yelled the captain, after checking Megumi. "She's still alive! Get the paramedics in here, now!"

**Present:**

On a cool sunny morning, a maize car pulled up to the CIA embassy's gate. A Caucasian teenaged-looking soldier, standing with a persistent stance, held out his right hand to her.

The car window rolled down to reveal Itashi Megumi. To cover her scarred head, she had on a brown shoulder length wig with bangs. The soldier stepped before Megumi to gaze down at her, noticing the two top buttons on her white shirt were undone and revealing her black bra.

He blushed.

"Hem, hem!" coughed Megumi.

Yanked out of his daze, he focused on her brown eyes.

"Name state and your business," he said, scrambling his Japanese.

"Megumi Itashi, here to start my first day," she said in English, holding up a badge, "And it's 'State your name and business,'" she corrected in Japanese.

"Ah, yes, thank you, miss."

The soldier ushered her through, having her drive towards a six-story, stain-glass structure that was sandwiched between two other buildings. Her car pulled up to the front door where an African-American waited next to a wheelchair.

He was decked out in a black suit and tie; dress shoes polished to where a person could see his or her reflection and a buzz cut blended into a well-trimmed beard.

The dark-skinned man opened the door for Megumi and gestured for her to settle in the wheelchair.

"Miss, I am here to take you up to your floor," he said.

Frowning at the propelled wheelchair, Megumi grabbed her cane, and struggled to exit the vehicle. She straightened out her black kaki pants and settled on her black flat shoes.

"I don't need a chauffeur," she declined. "I can manage myself."

"I'm sorry, miss, but Agent Gardner demands that you be seated in a wheelchair during your time here."

"Fine then, I'll leave."

"I'm sorry, miss, but the men at the gate are authorized not to open it again for you until they are given the okay by Agent Gardner."

"Isn't America the land of the free?" she questioned, her left eye squinting. "I would consider this unconstitutional, wouldn't you?"

"You would be right, but you are not an American. Now if you would please."

Megumi's jaw line tightened, and with Japanese and Canadian pride, she walked into the building. Pushing the empty chair, the African-American followed. Inside, the lobby was small, decked out in white marble tiles from the floor and walls, to the security desk that stood behind a metal detector.

Megumi stepped through and set it off. The security guard looked at her peculiarly.

"I have pins in my right leg and back," she said, pointing at it.

The guard took out a handheld metal detector to swipe it across her damaged areas. It beeped in the areas Megumi had mentioned. He waved her and her chauffer through to step before two elevators. Once one opened, they entered it with the African-American pressing number six and ascended. Moments later, the elevator reached its floor and opened the doors to a spacious department occupied by a dozen cubicals.

The odd couple exited and headed over to where Denard Gardner waited a few meters away next to Aaliyah.

He looked displeased.

Gardner looked at Aaliyah, and said, "I will talk with you later. "

"Yes, sir," she replied, and left.

"I thought I had told you to wheel her up here, Agent Smith," he reminded. Agent Smith informed him of Megumi's decision. His eyes focused on hers. "While working for us, you will follow our rules."

"Your rules? To me, right now, you're holding me against my will," challenged Megumi. "It's not right. It's against the law."

"If you want to leave, you can leave."

"Thank you!"

Megumi began to reenter the elevator.

"How's the job hunting going, Miss Itashi?"

Jaw line tightening, she turned while teetering on her cane, and gave him a dirty look.

"Fine, I'll stay, but I refuse to be wheeled around in a…"

Agent Smith took a hold of Megumi's collarbone, squeezed it to have her cringe, and forced the newly found agent into the wheelchair.

"Now that that's settled," said Gardner.

He headed towards the back, zipping around the cubical with Smith and Megumi in tow. Upon arriving at a door that read, 'Conference room,' Denard entered it. Inside sat a plump acne boy, and an elegant woman sitting next to each other at a round table.

The boy had long black hair that hadn't been combed recently and had on black nineteen-fiftyish style spectacles. The stripe red and black t-shirt he wore was too short and tight, his jean shorts hung loose that revealed a vertical smile, and had on green tennis shoes.

The elegant woman looked to be in her thirties. The way she presented herself reminded Megumi of her mother, except that her outfit was black and was unbuttoned at the top. Her long blonde hair hung loose and she wore no glasses to conceal her greenish-blue eyes.

The three rounded the table and took their places, Gardner between them with Megumi being parked to his right.

"Everybody already knows who Megumi is," said Gardner. "Megumi, I'd like you to meet Agent Olivia Bishop," he nodded towards the blonde woman, "and Freddy Fry. You already had met Agent Smith."

Megumi nodded, however, Olivia gave a disapproving look while Freddy blushed from being around attractive women.

Looked as though these two were winners.

"Down to business," continued Gardner. "Everybody here knows of what had happened two months ago concerning our vicinity being attacked and a top-secret project being stolen by Hachi Suzuki. You all were hand picked to help find and kill him and bring back our project in one piece.

"What you all don't know is that the top-secret project is a Contractor the CIA created. We call him Ubi"

Olivia's head twitched when Freddy's eyes widened, as though a major breakthrough had surface. Megumi glared on devilishly.

"You guys… created a… Contractor…?" questioned Olivia. "How?"

"That's not important," stated Gardner, shaking his head.

"Yes it is. We're risking our lives to cover your ass."

"I can't say, because I wasn't given the information about it. All I can tell you is that he has more than one power, isn't linked to any stars in the sky, doesn't have a hint of emotion what-so-ever, and he doesn't have a price."

"Err, back up a second," spoke up Megumi. "He doesn't have a star?"

"That is correct."

That would explain why there wasn't any Contractor activity picked up by the lab.

"You Americans!" the Itashi woman laughed. "Heck of war fighters, but stupid when it comes to building things. You guys are your own worst enemies."

Gardner glared at her for a moment, and then averted it to address the room.

"His powers are," he continued, "telekinesis, invisibility, teleportation, and he can freeze time."

Megumi bit her bottom lip. She already knew about the telekinesis, but the invisibility explained why Katashi and she had not seen them at the warehouse. Perhaps it was a bad idea to join the CIA.

"Do we know where they are heading or where they are at?" Olivia asked.

"We believe they are in North America at the moment. The last place they were spotted was roaming around in Texas. They've been doing odd jobs. It seems to be random patterns."

"They weren't random," said Megumi. "If the non-contract agency stole a _perfect _Contractor, then I'm willing to bet it all means something."

"I would have to agree," said Olivia. "What have they been doing?"

"Killing groups of people, kidnapping kids, stealing hardware, materials and weapons," informed Gardner.

"Do we have names of the victims?" Megumi asked.

"Richard Simon, Samantha Cunningham, Jeffery Biggs and a few others that have been off the grid for a while"

"Non-contract agents," guessed Megumi.

"I wouldn't jump to conclusions," said Olivia. "People in our profession shouldn't do that."

"I've heard that line before. Quite frankly, I have done it over a dozen times and came out on top."

"Like capturing BK201 or his kid?"

Megumi's well-known habit surfaced.

"Whwhwhwhat… typeof… type of… hard, hard, hardware… and… and… ma…ma…material, they steal?" asked Freddy.

"Stuff to house and make Dolls out of."

"Sounds like they're preparing for war," said Megumi. "Do we have any clue where they're going to hit next?"

"It's unclear. They keep hopping from one country to another."

"Wouldn't all that hopping around wear on the Contractor?" questioned Olivia. "He'd have to take a breather to regain his strength."

"Ubi was built to sustain that type of abuse," informed Gardner.

"You must be joking? Does he have any weaknesses?"

"No."

_Everything or anybody has a weakness, _Megumi thought.

"We have been able to track a few attacks here in Japan," said Gardner. "However, Ubi isn't the Contractor who has been doing the killing. YG809, FD312 and, of course, BV546. The Contractor who attacked Megumi and Kanami."

"Any idea where this group might be, where they're going to hit next, or what they call themselves?" Olivia asked.

"The Phoenix," said Megumi, having the four others look at her. She informed them of BV546's partner and her last words.

"At least we have a name now," said agent Smith.

"As for their whereabouts," spoke up Gardner, "we were unsuccessful at abstracting any memory from BV546 or his partner. As like with all non-contract agents we have come across, they had a small vial in their brain that triggers to go off and disintegrate their brain once they are dead.

"However, a text message had been sent to the woman's phone of a location. Shinjuku, Tokyo in the JR line train station.

Megumi frowned. No matter how hard she tried, she could not escape the shadows of the disarray city of Tokyo.

Xxx

Megumi sat in a red boxy car next to her brainiac partner who was typing hysterically on his holo laptop. Olivia, agent Smith and Gardner were staking out inside the JR line. It was pouring rain, making things more intense for Megumi.

"Anything?" she asked her so-called partner.

"N…no. Too… too many… pe… people…" he stuttered.

Megumi sighed, tapped the COM in her ear, and said, "Anything from you guys?"

"_If there was, we would have informed you,"_ spoke up Olivia.

"_Just relax, Agent Itashi. Our target will show him or herself," _said Gardner.

Grinding her teeth, Megumi turned off her link and cursed. She hated sitting in the car instead of being in the midst of the action. Perhaps it had been a mistake taking the job if she was going to be sidelined.

Irritated, Megumi grabbed her cane, opened the door and exited the car.

"Whe…?"

"For a walk to stretch my legs," she informed.

"But…"

"I'll be fine."

Slamming the door, the former Foreign Affairs woman began hobbling down the street while being doused from the cold rain. A few civilians hurried through the heavy downpour, some used umbrellas while others did as Megumi.

Megumi entered the JR line, noticing it was jam packed courtesy of the weather. Entering a nearby store, she headed towards the back to grab a drink. It was small in size that it was only able to fit two aisles the length of a car and a four-door refrigeration unit along the back wall. The young agent stepped before the refrigerator, opened one of the doors to pull out a Coke, and headed for the front counter.

After purchasing her drink and taking a sip, Megumi began roaming the station. The last time she was here was chasing Hizumi. There were too many bad memories in this city.

From walking ten minutes, her back and legs began to throb in pain. She took a seat on a bench to relax and took another drink. Setting the drink beside her, Megumi started performing stretching exercises.

At the corner of her left eye, a Caucasian man standing near a holo newsstand seemed to be sweating heavily in a cool environment. He was gazing around the station with his hands in his tan coat, as though holding something. Occasionally, he would swish his black pant legs about with his sketcher shoes kicking the ground and took out his right hand to run it through his dark hair.

Slowly and painfully, Megumi rose from the bench and headed towards the suspicious man. Once she reached him, she pretended to watch the holo newsstand broadcasting the weather.

"You believe this crap," said Megumi to the sweaty man, looking at the screen. "When will this cold rainy weather end? My body can't take this anymore."

It was true. Due to the on going low temperatures, chills ran throughout her body from the metal pins. It was as though some unknown being from above wanted to make her life miserable after all the rubbish she already had to deal with.

The sweaty man didn't respond.

Gazing at him, Megumi continued with, "I mean, come on! Although, it's not as bad as what North America had faced in 2014 during winter. What my dad had told me, it was ridiculous. I was too young to remember."

He still ignored her.

"You okay, sir?"

The sweaty man glanced at her, put on a fake smile, and said, "I'm fine. Just waiting for someone."

"Oh, sorry. Girlfriend?"

"No, " he said, irritated.

"Boy…friend…?"

"No."

"It's all right, sir. You don't have to be shy about it."

"I'm far from gay! I'm waiting for a co-worker. Would you leave me alone?"

"Okay, fine," Megumi raised her hand, as though pretending to take a hint and walked off. She tapped her COM. "I think I found our man. Northwest corridor by the newsstand."

"_That's in the building!" _shouted Gardner. _"I thought I told you to stay in the car!" _Megumi explained her aching pain. _"Next time wait until you get home! Olivia, __Smith__!"_

"_On it," _spoke up Smith.

"_Heading there now," _said Olivia.

Megumi disconnected the link and muttered, "You're welcome."

Breathing out heavily, Megumi turned to watch the target, however, he was missing. Suddenly, a gun was shoved into her hip.

"Don't move," said the sweaty man.

"Oh my… oh Gosh!" Megumi began playing, dropping her Coke while holding up her hands. "I'm just a cripple trying to stay dry and weather out the storm."

"Liar," the sweaty man repeated her conversation a few seconds ago. "I can hear things from three kilometers away."

"Contractor!" stated Megumi. "Just my luck. I take it sweating is your obeisance."

"Yes, it is, Agent Itashi," commented a dark-skinned man.

He was slightly taller than Megumi, average build, and had on a red silk shirt that would have had her in debt until she was two hundred years old. His black pants looked to be in the ballpark, but was probably pricey to match the alligator boots. The thing that did not cost him an arm and a leg was his goatee.

He stepped beside her, yanked out the COM and crushed it under his boot. "How about we go for a walk. I'm sure you don't want innocent bystanders killed, and so that your partners don't come barging in on us."

The non-contract agents guided Megumi off, heading for a sign that said, 'Employees Only,' entered it, and then gestured towards the back door. Once through, the dark skinned man pointed his gun at Megumi's head.

"I guess, since you're here, Rita and BV546 failed," he said. "They were supposed to drop off your dead body. How pleasant you brought yourself."

"Where can I find Hachi?" demanded Megumi.

Smiling, the dark-skinned man said, "So bold to ask about your old partner when you're about to die."

"I'm not the one who's going to die."

Chuckling, Megumi's judge, jury, and executioner cocked back his gun.

"Oh, crap, OH CRAP!" yelled somebody from above. "OI! LOOK OUT BELOW!"

The non-contract agents looked up, as did Megumi. Four-stories high, an Asian man lost his grip on an old fashion air-conditioner, having it fall and land on top the Contractor's head. Blood and brain spattered on his partner and along the ground. Crapping his trousers, the dark-skinned man aimed his gun upwards and fired, freaking out the Asian man and having him jump back.

Taking the opportune moment, Megumi swung her cane to smash it across the dark-skinned man's face, having him drop his gun. She then struck his stomach, but doing so, put her back out, and she dropped to her knees.

Blood seeping from his mouth, the dark-skinned man glared furiously at her, as he pulled out a pocketknife.

"Die!" he growled.

He was going to shove it into her neck, but missed from Megumi dropping to her side and grabbed his gun to put a round in his chest, killing him.

Painfully, Megumi crawled over to the dark-skinned man and searched his pocket. Locating his phone, she opened it and found a message.

It read:

_Bring Megumi Itashi's body to the rundown apartment complex outside the city at twenty hundred hours. Room 100._

Jaw line tightening, Megumi pocketed the phone.

Seconds later, Olivia, agent Smith and Gardner appeared from the train station armed, looking at her dumbfounded.

"You're welcome," said Megumi.

Xxx

Sitting on a bench in the University of California campus, Hizumi watched for Suzy Lu. The sun was beating down and cooking his neck. He wore his usual getup, but also threw on a pair of rounded glasses and had a brown bag filled with books beside him to look inconspicuous.

Even though the Contractor and his partner were dead, Hizumi was sure someone would make a move on her.

A black cat wearing a red collar walked up and hopped on the bench next to him. Hizumi frowned before it began scratching its right ear.

"Madam Oreille isn't pleased with you taking on a job she didn't assign you," Mao indicated.

"It could be a lead," said Hizumi.

"Or more like a waste of our time. Or better yet, her time."

"Then she can kill me if nothing pans out."

"I hardly doubt she'd do a thing like that. She wants to see you at the rendezvous by eight tonight. If you're not there, then perhaps she might reconsider it."

Mao stopped scratching, jumped from the bench and headed off.

As on cue, the young college student, carrying a backpack, came into view. Due to the warm weather, she had slipped on tan baggy shorts, a white tank top with Cal written on it and tan flip-flops. Walking at a hastened pace, the Asian girl whipped her short purple-dyed hair from her blue eyes and headed for her next class.

Standing up slowly while grabbing his bag, Hizumi followed at a lengthy distance. However, in order to keep up, he had to slip between groups of other students or casually shove them aside. Methods like this made it easy to be noticed.

Coming up to another campus building, the girl entered it. Hizumi copied her movement, following her down the halls and into a classroom. The seats were set on an incline, half mooning the teacher's desk below.

Suzy Lu sat in the middle section while Hizumi took a seat behind her.

Within minutes, a tan man entered from a backroom to stand before everybody. From his white suite, aviator glasses and black dress shoes, he resembled Michael Jackson from _Smooth Criminal_. The difference though was from his thick, whipped blown blondish-brown hair and light brown eyes that seemed like daggers.

"Welcome, class," he began. "Sorry about Professor Biggs, he couldn't be here.

"He's out at the moment and won't be back, I fear.

"My name is Professor Victors and I'll be your substitute.

"Now girls, calm down, I know I look cute."

The class began to mutter about Victor's rhyming.

"Perhaps he's one of those Contractors and that's his obeisance," a boy chuckled to his classmate beside Lucy.

"Before we begin," continued the sub.

"Is Suzy Lu in?"

Hizumi's eyes twitch, as a dark feeling shot down his spine.

"Yes?" Suzy Lu questioned, raising her hand.

"Thank you for showing yourself, little fry.

"Now, prepare to meet your maker and die!"

The substitute's eyes burned red, as he started highlighting in blue. Hizumi grabbed the girl and yanked her backwards, as the Contractor snapped his finger and engulfed the seats in flames. The boys beside her were instantly cooked to the bones.

Pushing his way past everybody that were screaming and trying to escape, Hizumi guided the petrified and confused girl towards the exit. The Contractor glared at them and snapped his fingers again. Hizumi pulled Suzy forward, barely missing another eruption that claimed three more students.

Irritated, Hizumi opened his bag, pulled out a split blade hidden in a cut out book and threw it. The Contractor held up his right arm to have the blade stab it. He highlighted in blue and snapped his finger, but instead of trying to kill Hizumi and the girl, the exits were doused in flames. The ceiling had filled with smoke, which made it hard to breathe.

"I don't know how you knew about this or who you are.

"But that I'll find out and make sure you don't go far.

"Although, I am sure you are the reason why two of my colleagues are deceased.

"I'll just have to get some vengeance for it and cook you up into a feast."

The Contractor burned the seats around them and began slowly drawing the flames inwards. The heat grew immensely to the point where Hizumi was sweating through every pore.

"Do something!" pleaded the girl.

"Like what?" Hizumi questioned.

"Anything!"

"There's nothing either of you can do," smirked Mr. Rhymes.

"So I'll say, 'Too-da-loo.'"

Hizumi cursed from being so reckless. It was a shame he was going to die before he could singed revenge on his father.

The flames were meters from them, the girl clinging and crying on Hizumi.

"Goodbye, little fry."

Suddenly, a wire came out of nowhere to wrap around the phony teacher. Startled, he halted his ring of fire and singed the wire before an electric shock shot through it. The Contractor looked to his right where Hei stood dressed in black attire.

"Who the hell are you?" he questioned.

"Some damn fool?"

The man called Victor set Hei's coat on fire, but with quick reflexes, he removed the blazing clothing and threw it aside. The Contractor started to torch the area under the former protagonist, but missed as he jumped to safety and then rolled out of the path of a fireball. Another one was released to have Hei leap roll over it.

"For an old man, you're still mobile.

"And that's me trying to be humble.

"Such an irrational thought.

"Now it's time to kill you annoying lot!"

The Contractor began moving Hizumi and the girl's fire cage inwards, freaking out the young student. However, he was distracted as the sprinklers kicked on and showered the classroom.

"What the…?

"Son of a…

"That was just wrong.

"Turning the water system back on!

"I will kill the ignorant person.

"I turned it off so I would not have to deal with precipitation!"

"A colleague of mine had done it so I could do this," mentioned Hei, as he highlighted in blue.

The Contractor was electrocuted from the waterlogged floor and then died, still wide eyed in disbelief. The flames burnt out immediately.

"No more rhyming, I mean it!" yelled Hei at the corpse.

Displeased, Hizumi snarled at him for saving his life again.

"Eh, anybody want a peanut?" babbled the girl. Hei and Hizumi glared at her baffled. "What? It's from the Princess Bride. It may be before my time, but I love that movie."


	4. Chapter 4

DTB Gen New Season Two: The Ideal Contractor

Chapter Four: What it Seems is Not Everything

Megumi arrived at the location indicated on the phone she had confiscated hours prior. It was a two-story building that had been boarded up. A sign that read, "Watanabe Inn," was cracked down the middle with vines creeping up the staircases and moldy walls.

Exiting the maize car with the support of her cane, the crippled agent pulled out her gun using her free hand and began searching the premises. The smell was an unpleasant one. It was a mixture of crusty week old socks and rotten eggs.

Her reason for secrecy was if Hachi happened to be on site, she wanted to be the one to put a bullet between his eyes. It irked her to the core that Gardner had told her to stay in the car like a dog. If he thought doing so was going to protect her from harm, he was sadly mistaken. She didn't need it thanks to her curse.

In rooms that weren't boarded up, Megumi shined her flashlight into them, squinting to see through the stained windows but received no luck.

Cursing, Megumi headed back to her car, but stopped from footsteps behind her. Gun still in hand, she spun around while aiming it, however, before she could get a bearing, she was met with red beady eyes and a blue highlighted figure.

Xxx

Itashi Megumi woke with a start from her nightmare. Sweat was pouring down her body, dousing her gray nightshirt and blue pajamas. Her heart was racing faster than a cheetah and her lungs were frantically grasping for breath.

After a minute of anxiety, the petrified woman gathered her composure and laid down on her futon.

It had been one hectic dream she had never encountered before. The things that had swarmed in her brain had felt so real. She tried to wrap her head around it, remembering the whole thing, but it slipped through her grasp.

"Bad dream?" a guy asked beside her.

Startled, Megumi looked to her left and noticed a shirtless man who resembled a muscular Asian Harry Potter. His biceps were flexed from cuddling up with a pillow and he was somewhat sweaty from the mild heat.

She smiled, and said, "Yeah, Hizumi."

"You wanna talk about it?"

"Wish I could."

"Oh, one of those. I hate that. I just wanted to know what woke up my precious jewel."

Shivers running down her back, Megumi leaned in and kissed him.

"I love you," she said.

He gave a crooked smile, and said, "I know."

Megumi gave him a peculiar look. His voice sounded a little odd, but it was probably from morning fatigue. She stood, walked over to the curtains, and opened it to have the morning sun shine through.

"Oh, wow, what a rare sight."

"What is it?"

"The moon! It has a weird oval shape to it. Probably because it's still visible in the morning."

Turning around, Megumi was smiling from ear to ear. It was as if she had first laid eyes on something marvelous. She returned to her husband, sitting on top of him and whipping her long brown hair aside so she could kiss him again.

Normally Hizumi would have had morning sex, but there was another man in Megumi's life that needed her attention. Mournfully, he pushed her at arms length and gave his wife the look.

Rolling her eyes, Megumi stood, exited their room, and entered the kitchen that was jointed to the living corridors. A black cat with a red collar entered and sat before her, whipping its tail. She picked up a small device, clicked the button, and said, "Holovision on."

"_Holovision on. Is that correct?" _a recorded woman's voice asked.

"Yes."

"_Holovision on. Continue using voice activation while cooking, cleaning, watching H.V. or other business of chores."_

The holo television turned on, as Megumi began cooking breakfast. A talk show was being broadcasted that starred the former J-rock artist Hizumi. His latest guest was from a rock band called Dark Ray.

"_There's a lot of adrenaline pumping through your veins__ performing in front of thousands of fans, isn't __there__?" _the former J-rocker asked.

"_Yes. Yes __there__ is," _nodded the lead signer.

His hair was mangled and resembled a rainbow.

Megumi began frying some rice mixed with carrots and onions. As the food sizzled, she decided to feed her cat dry food. Once done, Megumi returned to the stove.

"I just want to eat," a voice babbled.

Dumbstruck, Megumi looked down at her cat, believing he had spoke, but knew the thought was ignorant, and figured it had come from the holovision.

Moments later, her son, Li, entered the room rubbing at his blue eyes. His brown hair was a mess, but looked cute, especially in his Power Ranger pajamas.

"Good morning, Li-chan!" chimed Megumi.

"Ah, good… mornen," muttered Li. "Rice? I wan' cake!"

"Oh, no. Cake is not a healthy way to start the day."

"But daddy does."

"And I've said the same thing to him."

"That you have," replied Hizumi, walking over.

His hairless, muscular chest and six-packs seemed to gleam from the midnight sweat. The black trousers he wore hung loose, nearly revealing his package. What made her putty in his arms were his smooth collarbones.

"Would you put on a shirt!" frowned Megumi. "You make it hard for me to cook when you're like that. Especially when we miss out on our special moment."

"I know. That's why I do it. And because you don't wear only your apron around me anymore."

"I wonder why!" frowned Megumi.

"Mommy, what's yours and daddy's special moment?"

Megumi narrowed her eyes at her husband and then looked at her son, saying, "Our play time by ourselves."

"Oh. What do you play?"

"Tickling matches," chuckled Hizumi, kneeling next to Li.

"Tonight is going to be hockey night if you keep this up," said Megumi, referring to it as a slugfest, "and then you'll be sleeping on the hard floor."

After thoroughly cooking breakfast, Megumi carried the pot over to a small table, and poured it onto their bowls. She returned to her stove, turning it off before pitching the pot in the sink and joining her family.

The holovision began to go on the fritz and then a radiation-like high-pitched noise came from it. Moments later, it tuned in to reveal a news station.

"_We interrupt our local programming to bring you a special report," _said a middle-aged man. His graying black hair looked wind whipped, he had on a cheap black business suit, and seemed as though he had not shaved in days. _"It seems a man dressed in all black wearing a white mask was seen flying through Tokyo in the Shinjuku area. We go over to reporter Izumi Sakura. Sakura, can you tell us more."_

The holo screen changed to reveal a young woman. She had on a knee length tan skirt that looked too tight to run in, and a loose fitting white blouse.

"_I can, Hayate," _she began, flipping her short black hair over her right ear. _"It seemed this mask vigilantly decided to swing from one building to another, scaring multiple people. Now, somebody had caught a holo picture of the man and here it is."_

They showed it, confirming the description of the person.

"_I speculate that this man is a fanatic fan-fiction reader and is portraying a masked hero in a story from Bara no Maurice."_

"_Izumi Sakura, what did I say about theories. This news station does not put together theories. Only facts. We follow the rules of our predecessors before us."_

Dumfounded from the reporter's statement, Megumi recalled a similar memory.

"Enough of this crap," said Hizumi. "Holovision off."

"_Turing off Holovision."_

"I was watching that!" scolded Megumi

Her husband shrugged.

"I was thinking," began Megumi, "this city is packed with people. How about we look into finding a place in the suburbs. Maybe closer to Yokohama."

"Where your parents live," indicated Hizumi. "You know I don't get along with your dad. We're always arguing about politics."

"You're always arguing with him about a Gaijin Minister running things in Tokyo."

"Damn straight! That foreigner only came over here because nobody in the States voted for him."

Megumi chuckled, and said, "At least my mom likes you."

"Because I remind her of a crush she had had on a foreign exchange student from China who got shipped back. She find out what had happened to him?"

"Failed a bunch of his classes, dropped out and became a hobo. After that, I don't know."

"At least he's not like my parents. My old man lying around the house while my mom cooks food that tastes like dog food."

Megumi eyed him devilishly as he smiled.

"Daddy, that true?" Li asked.

"He's kidding!" informed Megumi. "His parents died in a car crash!"

Her right eye twitched again, experiencing another Déjà vu. She shook it off and continued eating.

Once they were done, Megumi packed her son's lunch and sent him off to school. She entered the shower to wash off the night stench, but as she did, the same high-pitched sound echoed around the enclosed room, making Megumi think something was up with the pipes.

However, her thoughts were distracted from Hizumi slipping in to have their special moment. Megumi smiled, noticing she had left an impression down under on him.

"I have to be at work in an hour!" she informed.

"All I need is a minute," he said, his voice sounding odd again. Megumi gave him a puzzling look from his comment. "Wait that came out wrong."

Shaking her head, she wrapped her arms around his neck, as he placed her on his hips and they made love.

In her blue car as it headed towards her work, Megumi sat back in her seat singing to a _Florence + The Machine_ song called _No Light, No light._ It was an older song that came out almost a year after she was born, but since her father had played it continuously, she had grown to love it.

Her car drove into the TCS Headquarters and pulled into an empty lot. After turning it off, Megumi exited the vehicle, walked over to enter the minuscule building and headed down a long corridor to step into a darkened room that was illuminated by a dozen lights.

"You're late, Megumi!" yelled Kanami, as she approached her.

"Sorry, but I got a little distracted in the shower… with Hizumi," blushed Megumi.

Kanami opened her mouth to continue her lecture, but stopped while winking, and said, "I guess I could let you off this time. How was it?"

Blushing more, Megumi was about to give the naughty details, but she couldn't remember anything. It was as if she had read Fifty Shades of Grey but skipped the sex scenes.

"Well?" spoke up Kanami.

"Eh, it was… fine…"

"Fine? Fine? Are you two having problems in the bedroom? If you are, I could buy or let you borrow some of my, '_Toys._'"

"Err, we're fine, Kanami-san."

Kanami sighed. "So, are you still going to pay me for that dress you tore on a bench?"

Megumi looked at her startled, recalling another memory. What was going on with her today? The same high pitch echoed throughout the office. Baffled, the young mother glanced at the screens to see if something from it was causing an ear-screeching noise.

"Boy, you said it, girly!" spoke up a woman. Kanami and Megumi looked to their right and saw Emiko talking to Chou. However, it sounded like Emiko had said, "Chewy." She gestured over her shoulder while glaring at Kanami. "Where did you dig up that old fossil?"

The pitch sound began to die off. As it did, Megumi looked past Emiko and saw an old man wearing big glasses sweeping the floor. Something about him was familiar, but what was it?

Suddenly, her brain began to ache and she snatched at it while cringing.

"Megumi, are you all right?" Kanami asked.

Within seconds, the pain subsided.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she assured.

"You didn't look so good," pointed out Kanami. "If it's bad, you can go home."

"No, I'm fine."

Straightening out her posture, Megumi glanced over at the old man, but he was gone. Kanami followed her stare, and asked, "Something wrong."

"No. I just thought I recognized that old man Emiko was talking about, so I wanted to get a better look at him."

"What old man?" Emiko asked. Megumi glared at her peculiarly and repeated her words about the old fossil. "I never had said that. I've had my eyes on the holo screen for the past twenty minutes until you collapsed."

"But, you just had said it like twenty seconds ago."

"Megumi-chan," spoke up Kanami, guiding her away from Emiko. "Maybe you should go home. Or perhaps go see your doctor."

"I'm fine, Kanami-san. Really."

Megumi walked past Kanami and sat at her desk across from her new co-worker, Fukazawa. He blushed and shyly stuck his nose back into his work. Shaking her head, she began working on her holo computer.

The hours seemed to fly by, as though an hour was a mere second. Before she knew it, it was almost time to go home. Megumi couldn't recall what she had had for lunch, or even if she had taken one.

However, before she was done, Megumi's phone rang. She pressed the answer button, noticing it was on speakerphone, and picked up the receiver.

"This is Itashi Megumi, how can I help you?" she said into it.

Unexpectedly, the high-pitched sound rang ten times louder than the last, and it felt as though it was in the depths of her brain. Clamping her eyes shut, she quickly pulled the phone away.

A vision of a glowing blue man appeared, staring down at her with bloodstained like eyes. Narrowing her eyes, she tried to make sense of it. Who was this man? Was he even a man, or a being of some kind?

"She's waking!" yelled a man off to her left.

"Great Scott. This is heavy!" replied the glowing man.

"Quick, put her back under!"

"One-point twenty-one gigawatts!"

Within seconds, the blue man evaporated and her workstation reappeared.

"What's a gigawatt!" babbled Megumi.

Shaking her head, she wondered what had happened? Had she dozed off and had a quick dream? Furthermore, what was that high pitch noise?

Looking at her phone, she noticed it was still on its slot. Something wasn't right.

"Megumi, you all right?"

Dumbfounded, she spun around to stare into her husband's eyes. They were in their apartment late at night. He was standing in the bedroom's doorway dressed in his bartender outfit.

"How…?" She began looking around, baffled. "What…? How did I get here?"

"You walked through the front door," mentioned Hizumi, his eyelids slanted.

"When?"

"Three hours ago after picking up Li from school. Honey, is something wrong?"

Megumi began to open her mouth, to mention that she had lost a whole day, but it felt as though the saliva on her lips had become so thick and sticky that it prevented her from uttering anything.

The high-pitched sound returned. Cringing, Megumi pinched the bridge of her nose.

"What is that sound?" she cried

"What sound?" questioned Hizumi.

"You don't hear it? She yelled, glaring at him. "How?"

"The only guess I have is that maybe your mind doesn't work the same way the rest of theirs do," he said, altering his voice.

Megumi narrowed her eyes at her husband for quoting a line from her favorite Novel book, Twilight. To be blunt, there had been quotes all day, even during her three-second catnap at work.

Finally, the pitch sound subsided.

"Perhaps a nice dinner will ease your mind, Megumi-chan," said her dad.

She turned on her heels and saw her mother, father, son and husband kneeling before the small table.

"Mom, Dad? What are you two doing here?" she asked, oblivious about her husband's teleportation trick.

"Family dinner, of course," said her mother.

"But we have that on Sundays."

"Isn't it Sunday?"

"Can't be! Hizumi had just said I had picked up Li-chan from school. He doesn't have school on Sundays."

"I don't go to school yet, OneMegi!" said Li, while eating pocky.

Megumi stared at Li, baffled. OneMegi? The word seemed to have an emotional effect to her, not as a mother, but as an older sister.

The high-pitch sounded in her head, making her clamp her ears in hope of extinguishing the noise. Her family looked at her concerned.

"Megumi…?" questioned her mother.

"You don't hear that? It's clear as day!" Megumi hollered over the pitch sound.

"Like your thoughts are on the AM frequency and I'm only getting FM," said her father, but it wasn't his own voice.

"Would you stop doing that?"

"You've got a bit of a temper, don't you?"

With her head pounding, and irritated from her family acting a scene from Twilight, she barged out of her apartment and found herself running across a darken street vacated of cars, but was cluttered with headlights and horns.

She wished the ringing would stop so she could think.

In the distance, the confused woman recognized an old man in a green coat wearing big glasses. He was the same old man from work.

Bursting out of her maize car, she headed after him, yelling, "Hey, wait!" while hopping over something. "Please! Wait! How did you vanish?" People came to a sudden halt as she ran pass them. "Wait! I'm not going to hurt you!"

She caught up to make him turn around and look back at her.

"Yes?" he smiled.

"Where…? Who are you?" she asked. "You seem so familiar? Like we've met before."

He placed his hands on her shoulder, and said, "Miss, I think it's time for you to wake up."

She looked at him baffled. His smile disappeared, as his body began to outline in blue and his glasses beamed red. She gasped, as she found her body shaking from an electrical current coursing through her body.

Within a split second, Megumi woke and sat up before the highlighted man in a run down room. He wore a flat cap tilted sideways, heavy brown coat that ghostly outlined in blue, and black jeans with matching shoes. Next to him was a pale-skinned man pimped out in nineteen fifty-style clothing with a feathered-brim hat.

Pain was seeping through her back, as if she had been injured from something.

"Danger, Will Robinson! Danger!" shouted the glowing man.

"I can see that!" yelled the brim hat man. "Get her back under!"

"AAASSS… YYYOOOUUU… WWWIIISSSHHH…!"

As though her mind had gone blank, Megumi found herself waking up next to Hizumi. It all made sense. This was the dream world and some glowing man who was making the high-pitched sound had locked her in her own mind. She had to escape, but how?

The old man in green perhaps had the answer, but where would she find him.

On her stand, the holovision's screen began to waver, clicked, and then turned on.

"_We interrupted our local programming to bring you a special report," _said Hayate. _"It seems a man dressed in all black wearing a white mask was seen flying through Tokyo in the Shinjuku area. We go over to reporter Izumi Sakura. Sakura, can you tell us more."_

Megumi glared at it, believing it was the same program from yesterday, as the woman reported the situation. She had to find the man in black.

Perhaps she might be able to conjure up the vigilantly and old man if this was a dream.

"It won't work that way," said her husband, who was standing in the doorway half naked. "He controls it."

Megumi narrowed her eyes.

"Who are you? Are we really married?" she asked.

"What you want me to be, or at least in your deepest and darkest dreams. You wanted me like this, so here I am. He created this life for you."

"Why?"

Hizumi walked over and sat next to her, staring into her brown eyes, and said, "Does it matter? Your dreams have come true."

"But it's not real! For all I know, you could be dead and I want you back. If this is how, then I don't want it. Not like this."

"Maybe you do?"

"I changed my mind. Let me out!"

"It doesn't work that way." Megumi found herself in a straitjacket and white ten-by-ten room. Hizumi stood, dressed in ordinary outfit, and glared down at her. "When you've learned to accept this world, he will let you go."

Hizumi exited with the door closing behind him. Tightening her jaw line, Megumi snorted at the door. There had to be a way to escape this nightmare.

Closing her eyes, she forced to imagine being free from the straitjacket, but when she opened them, Megumi was still in her binds. Saying a word that wasn't proper for a PG movie, she tried again with no luck. Perhaps it would be best to give in and live out her life in this fantasy world.

"That is not you," said a voice behind her.

Turning around, she gasped at the sight of the old man.

"How…?" she began to say, but stopped.

"You are not a quitter, but yet, you're trying too hard. You're strong-minded. It will set you free."

Megumi looked at him curiously, but then realized she wasn't in a straitjacket anymore. In addition, the door was open. She looked back at the old man to ask how he had done that, but he had disappeared.

Not wishing to push her luck anymore, Megumi bolted from her confinement to step into a blustery Tokyo. However, it was different than what she had remembered. It looked as though the place had been uninhabited for decades. Mold, vines and weeds infested the city. Cracks branched out throughout the roads and the buildings had grimy or busted out windows. The night sky itself was amiss. It was purple in color, the stars arranged incorrectly, and the moon was absent.

To Megumi, it was wrong, but felt right.

Movement to her left caught her attention. Turning towards it, Megumi spotted the masked, dark-clothed man running into a building. She followed suite. Stepping through, Megumi watched the dark figure enter an emergency exit in which she repeated his actions. Once inside, she looked upwards to gaze upon what seemed like a never-ending staircase. A few floors up stood the masked man staring down at her.

Her eyes focused on the slanted dark eyes, believing they had glowing red pupils, and then he continued ascending. Megumi began her incline, however, to her it felt as though she was running on a backwards escalator. She tried running faster, but it seemed like her feet sank into the concrete to where she could not get any footing.

Her prey was getting away. She knew if she could catch up and unmask him, this nightmarish dream would end.

"Wait! Please! PLEASE!" screamed the frantic woman.

Without realizing it, Megumi burst through a door to find herself on a rooftop. Before her stood Hizumi, his white shirt, blue pants and black hair being blown around by the gusty wind with his arms crossed.

"You continue to persist on playing these games," he said. Hizumi dropped his arms and walked towards her, the gravel roof crackling under his black shoes. "You can't win against him. If he has to, he will put you into a deep coma where everything is blank. Give up, Megumi." Her beloved stepped before her and cradled her face. "Come back home to me and Li-chan."

"No!" Megumi pushed away. "It's not real."

"You have no idea what is out there in the real world. In fact, you're already gazing on part of it. You have everything you need with me." He held out his right hand. "We can be happy together."

Megumi looked at it, thinking of forgetting about the real world, but a knife was suddenly shoved through his chest. It was yanked out, having him drop to his knees before dying. Behind him stood her mystery man holding a bloody knife, his coat whipping in the wind.

With tropical storm-like speed, the masked man kneed her stomach, surprising and having her cough in pain, and then was elbowed in the back.

As she tried to stand, her legs became wobbly, as though a thousand pounds had been placed on her shoulder. The pain in her back was beyond tolerant. If she had to put it from one to ten, it felt like a sixty. Confusion was overwhelming her. Was her puppeteer doing this or was it her own mind?

Unable to burden the pain, Megumi dropped to her knees. The man in black took a hold of his mask and removed it. She gazed at the face, knowing the person before her wasn't her masked man, but another man. He had long silky hair, a sharp face, and a stare filled with hatred.

"Ha…chi…" she rolled off her tongue. "Suzuki, Hachi…"

Anger she had never experienced filled every pore in her body. Pointing a gun at Hachi that had materialized in her hand, she fired a shot to have him evaporate into a swirl of dust that blew off into the wind.

Megumi looked down, slightly astounded at her husband to see he was wearing the mask and black outfit.

Unable to take it, Megumi placed the gun to her temple. There was an urging feeling that swarmed throughout her body, as though instructing her to do it, but some other unknown notion kept her from doing so.

"_Do it already!" _the brim hat man said in her head. _"Kill her!"_

"_I'm giving her all I got, Captain,"_ said the glowing man's voice. _"I don't have the power." _

Tears began to run down her cheek, wishing all of it would end.

Suddenly, someone grabbed her arm, spun her around, and kissed her. The person pulled away to reveal an average Japanese man in a black coat and blue jeans. She knew this man.

"Shoji?" Megumi mumbled.

"Strike one," he said, and then pushed her over the ledge.

The street seemed miles upon miles below, as though the buildings had created a square-like tunnel. She began to scream out her lungs, but could not hear it. The fall felt light-headed, but heavy as she flapped her arms. However, everything faded away, and then she woke up again, noticing she was sitting upright with a gun to her temple like in her dream.

"Inconceivable!" babbled the glowing man.

"Damn it!" yelled the pale-skinned man.

He pulled out a gun from his overcoat and began pointing it at Megumi. Like riding a bike, she instinctually aimed her gun at the paled man and fired a shot in his heart, killing him. Megumi then trained it back to the glowing man, which forced him to throw up his hands.

"Parley! Parrrrley!" he yelled.

"Who are you?" Megumi asked.

"No one of consequence," he replied, having Megumi slant her eyelids. Why was he quoting movie lines? "Get use to disappointments."

Due to her distraction, he swatted the gun away. Megumi looked on dumbstruck, but shook it off after spotting a two-by-four. Grabbing it, she swung it, striking the glowing man in the shoulder.

"That didn't hurt!" Anger soaring through her veins, she struck him two more times around the waist. "That didn't hurt! That didn't hurt." Peeved off now, Megumi struck him across the face. He performed a one-eighty and fell face forward while muttering, "That hurt!"

"Don't move, dirt bag!" babbled Megumi, remembering the 1980 comedy movie, Police Academy.

She stood from the bed, as the glow the man produced faded. As on cue, the floodgates opened to have all her memories return. Overwhelmed with so much drama, she dropped to her knees and erupted into tears.

Hizumi from her dreams was right. If she had remembered this world, she would not have returned.

Xxx

While Agents Gardner, Smith and Bishop escorted the Contractor out of the motel blindfolded, Megumi sat on the bumper of an ambulance being checked out by a paramedic. He was younger than her, had a peachy face, and his dark hair was parted to the side. Also, he looked to be averagely built.

"You'll never take me alive, coppa!" babbled the Contractor.

After regaining control of her own memory, she was able to determine him saying movie quotes was his obeisance.

"Shut up!" replied Gardner, throwing him in the back of a cop car.

"145 over 85. You're hypertensive," said the paramedic after taking her blood pressure.

"I wonder why," she sarcastically commented, as he swiped a device across her forehead.

"Your temperature is normal. Look straight without blinking for me." He shined his light into her eyes. "Your pupils look fine. I suggest you head to a local hospital to get checked out thoroughly."

"I'll be fine."

The paramedic packed up his stuff and departed. Moments later, Gardner approached.

"You shouldn't have come on your own," he said.

"Why does it matter? We both know I can't die. Not at least for another eleven years."

"But that's no excuse to go running off into danger."

"Then fire me."

Megumi stood and headed towards her car. Gardner frowned at her.


End file.
